Hot Whisper (7 page)

“Merry Christmas.”

“It’s . . . um, not Christmas yet.” She tried to raise her head but couldn’t.

“Good, because I’m just getting started,” he warned her, and was rewarded with throaty laughter, but her eyes remained closed, and when she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, Jesse knew she was acutely aware that he was drinking in the sight of her nakedness. With her beautiful body bathed in the glow of the fire and her hair fanned out over the rug, Jesse understood her earlier comment. She was a sight to behold.

“Jesse?” she asked in a soft purr, sounding chock-full of satisfaction.

“Hmm?”

“I know ’tis the season for giving, but I think it’s about time for you to receive.”

When she opened up her eyes and gave him a shy but sensual smile, Jesse felt something stir inside of him that went beyond passion. Once again it hit him hard that his time with her was limited, and he knew that this moment would be forever etched in his memory. He didn’t want her to remember this as casual sex but didn’t know how to voice his feelings.

“Just kiss me, Jesse,” Claire whispered, and the emotion in her eyes told him that she understood.

“Gladly.” Jesse knew that she was sated, and even though he was dying to make love to her, he wanted to bring her back to full arousal first, and so he leaned in and slowly slid his hand up her thigh, caressing her lightly. Her breath caught, but instead of closing her eyes, she rose up to her elbows, kept them open, and watched the path of his hand. “Your skin is like satin,” he said as he moved upward, pausing to explore.

“Thank you,” she replied in a breathless voice that told Jesse she was becoming aroused once more.

“I’m sorry that my hands are rough and calloused.”

“No . . . I like it,” she said, and when he slid both palms up to cup her breasts, her head tilted and her eyes fluttered shut.“I like your hands on me.”

“Me, too.” Jesse smiled. In her suit she had appeared all city sophistication, but there was a fresh honesty about her that he hadn’t expected, making her even more enticing. He circled her nipples with his thumbs and then leaned in and kissed her soft, moist mouth before turning to quickly put on protection.

Jesse couldn’t remember when he had wanted a woman more and he knew it was going to be a struggle not to climax quickly, so he spread her thighs, entering her inch by inch. She inhaled a deep breath and threaded her fingers through his hair. God, she was hot, wet,
tight
. . . and when he was buried deep, he had to pause in order to gain his composure. He began with slow, easy strokes, holding back when he wanted to pump hard. She rocked with him, kissing his chest, and when her breath started coming in short gasps, he knew she was getting close, and he stroked her harder, faster. She arched her back, tilted her hips as if needing more of him.

“Wrap your legs around me,” Jesse requested in her ear, and when she did, he slid his hands beneath her ass.When she fisted her hands on the rug, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes . . . oh yes,” she answered, and nodded, and that was all he needed. She matched his rhythm and then some, making Jesse realize how great it was to have a woman who could handle his size. They were a perfect fit and he loved it. At this angle he filled her completely and was able to watch the play of passion on her face while he made love to her. Her lips were plump and moist, and her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of rose. That glorious mane of hair was starting to curl at the ends and when she opened her mouth and gasped, it pushed Jesse over the edge and he thrust deep, climaxing in a hot rush of pleasure while bringing her right along with him. He held her there for a long moment, savoring the feeling of being inside of her heat while she came.

Jesse lowered her hips to the floor, and after brushing her hair back from her face, he leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss. When Claire wrapped her arms around him and sighed, he felt the same bittersweet ache reach within and claw at his carefully guarded heart. After easing down beside her, he drew her close and for a while neither of them spoke. The soothing sound of jazz music played in the background, and the warmth of the fire had Jesse’s eyes feeling heavy. She felt so good in his arms and he longed to have her tucked in his bed. “Hey, I’m fading fast.”

“Me, too,” she answered in a drowsy tone.

Not wanting to fall asleep on the floor, he kissed the top of Claire’s head and said, “Are you ready for bed?”

“Yes,” she answered hesitantly.“I’m exhausted. I hope I can make it up the stairs.”

The stairs? Jesse wanted her to sleep with him, but given the circumstances, he didn’t know if he should ask. But the cabin would seem dark and eerie, and sounds of nocturnal wildlife might leave her spooked in the middle of the night.

“Do you have a suggestion as to which room I should choose?”

Mine . . .
, he almost said, but stopped himself, and yet the thought of her wide-awake and frightened bothered him more than he wanted it to. He had never felt this way about a woman so quickly, but he told himself it was the unusual set of circumstances and his unstable emotions during the holidays that was messing with his head. He reminded himself that she would soon be gone from his life and having her curled up next to him all night long was too intimate. They had already traveled into dangerous emotional territory. Even though he wanted her next to him, she should sleep in a guest room for both their sakes. “The one directly at the top of the stairs has a big bathroom that connects to it.There are extra toiletries in the medicine cabinet, hopefully including a new toothbrush, so help yourself to anything you might need. Fresh towels are in the linen closet.”

“Thanks,” she answered softly, and damn if there wasn’t a hint of a catch in her voice. When she sat up and reached for her shirt, Jesse wanted to drag her back against him and hold her close. With her back to him he couldn’t help but admire the delicate grace in the slope of her shoulders and the curve of her hips, and he had the strongest urge to brush her hair aside and kiss her neck. Jesse looked at her through the eyes of an artist, deciding that he would love to do a nude sketch of her. He had done so much woodworking that a charcoal drawing would be a welcome change of pace. Not that he would have the nerve to ask . . .

After Claire tugged on the long johns, she stood up and Jesse dragged the cover over himself since the sight of her had him getting aroused all over again.
Amazing
, he thought, since he was bone tired and seriously spent.When she glanced at the dishes, he shook his head. “I’ll take care of that.You just head on up and get settled.The light switch is on the left.”

Claire nodded. “Okay.”

When she started walking toward the steps, he said,“If you need anything at all, just give me a holler.”

She paused and turned around. “I will. Thank you, Jesse,” she replied, but in the shadows she appeared a little uncertain.

“Claire . . . ,” he began, but she shook her head.

“Don’t,” she said softly. “This is for the best.”

Jesse watched her walk over to pick up her purse and then up the steps and had to grind his teeth in an effort not to go after her. When she disappeared from view, he leaned back on his elbows and inhaled a deep breath, but just when he thought he had himself under control, he looked down and spotted her black thong lying on the white rug.With a groan he closed his eyes, but the image stayed there.

He looked up the stairs and reconsidered....

C
laire flicked on the light in the bedroom and sucked in a breath. “Oh, wow.” A stunning tarnished-copper bed looked elegant next to the rustic log walls. A fluffy snow-white comforter invited Claire to snuggle, and stacks of dark blue pillows added a burst of color that matched the dust ruffle brushing up against the hardwood floor. Draperies of the same shade hung from copper curtain rods that matched the ornate headboard.A nightstand with log legs drew Claire’s attention and she discovered that the rustic wooden armoire was actually an entertainment center hiding a television. The pieces were rough-hewn but artfully designed, making Claire wonder if Jesse also handcrafted furniture. The dresser drawers were empty, not that it mattered, she thought with a wry grin.

After placing her purse on the nightstand, Claire opened the door to the bathroom and smiled again. Everything was modern but vintage-style, from the pedestal sink to the high-tank toilet. But when she turned and spotted the double-slipper claw-foot bathtub, she put her hands to her chest. “Oh, absolutely amazing!” She hurried over to the freestanding faucet and admired the porcelain details on the hand shower and immediately felt the desire for a long, soothing bubble bath with soft music and flickering candles. She wondered whether she should ask Jesse if he had any votives, but as soon as his name skittered through her brain, she envisioned him lounging in the tub, cowboy hat tilted back, a longneck dangling from his fingers, and the need for his back to be scrubbed, and then maybe his chest, and then . . .

“Oh, stop!” Closing her eyes, Claire inhaled a deep breath and blew it out. Just thinking about Jesse brought a heated flush to her face, and she put her cool hands on her warm cheeks and groaned. Leave it to
her
to finally find a man who could make her melt like butter on a hot biscuit and have him live hundreds of miles away.

But she pushed that thought aside and, as promised, found everything she needed in the medicine cabinet. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she headed back into the bedroom, clicking on the cute little lamp perched on the nightstand before she turned off the overhead light. She slipped beneath the crisp sheet and pulled the cozy down comforter up to her chin and sighed. “The day started off pretty normal,” she murmured, and then shook her head in wonder. Although her work as a stylist was fast-paced and hectic, her social life was pretty low-key. Stuff like this just didn’t happen to her. Claire smiled slowly. It was about time she added an adventure to her predictable life. But her smile faded when she looked at her purse and thought about her cell phone tucked inside. Claire considered calling her sister, Chloe, but then sighed. She had talked to Chloe and her mother just this morning, so they wouldn’t be worried as of yet. But soon she would have to break her snowbound news to them all. “That is not going to be fun.”

Another sigh escaped Claire as she leaned her head back against the squishy feather pillow. She folded her hands above the blanket and glanced around. She simply could not tell her protective parents that she was stranded in a remote mountain cabin with a complete stranger. Claire imagined the National Guard swarming in helicopters or a SWAT team perched in the trees.
Oh, this isn’t going to be good.
While nibbling on her inner cheek, Claire contemplated the situation and then suddenly snapped her fingers. She was sleeping in a bed and Jesse promised a hot breakfast. . . . She was staying at a bed-and-breakfast! “Yes!” she said, and in the still of the night her voice seemed to ring out. “Oh no,” she squeaked with a wince, and put a hand over her mouth, hoping Jesse didn’t hear her silly outburst. With that thought, she quickly turned off the light. “Oh . . . no,” she repeated in a much lower tone. It was dark. No, not just dark.

Pitch. Black.
Dark.

And oh so very quiet.

Claire swallowed hard and brought the blanket all the way up to her nose, as if the fluffy feather comforter would somehow shield her from things that go bump in the night....

Oh crap—
correction
. Things that
howl
in the night and maybe go bump, too. When another
ahhhhhohhhh
rang out into the night, Claire swallowed and with a weak laugh sang, “Werewolves of London.”Tugging the covers nearly up to her eyeballs, she said, “I’m Team Jacob, so please don’t eat me.” She shook her head, thinking this was feeling more like a B horror movie than R-rated Hallmark.“R-Rated Hallmark is way better,” she mumbled, and was very close to calling out for Jesse but refrained.
It’s just the wilderness, you little city slicker.

“Okay, calm down and just relax.” Claire attempted to fall asleep, but she realized that although it was so very,
very
dark, her eyes were wide-open. After a few minutes her vision adjusted, but then the previously lovely furniture seemed to be lurking in the shadows ready to pounce. Feeling absolutely absurd for being so scared, she pressed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut.

Realizing she would never fall asleep being this tense, she willed her limbs to relax one by one as if in the cooldown part of her Pilates class. After a while her method began to work and she started to drift off to sleep....

And then she heard it. Scratching at her window! Her eyes opened wide and she strained to see what was trying to come in and get her, but could see nothing but shadows. Her heart pounded double-time, but when all she heard was silence, she blew out her held breath and had to start the whole Pilates thing all over again. She was only to her thighs when the scratching began and then quickly accelerated to banging.

Claire wanted to shout for Jesse, but with every ounce of courage in her body she eased from the protection of the comforter and then leaned over and turned on the lamp, wanting to see her would-be attacker in the light. Swallowing hard, she crept over to the window, shoved back the drapes, and, fully expecting to see some sort of eerie, beady-eyed creature of the night, sucked in a breath, ready to let out a bloodcurdling B-movie-worthy scream for Jesse to come to her rescue.

“A tree branch!” Claire whispered hotly, and allowed the drape to fall back in place. “Well!”Totally ticked at her scared-silly self, she stomped over to the bed and slid under the covers. Still grumbling beneath her breath, she snapped off the light and slammed her eyes shut. “It was only a stupid tree branch,” she muttered darkly, but then thanked her lucky stars that she hadn’t made a fool of herself by screaming. A girl could take only so much humiliation in one day. She yawned and this time made it all the way up to tensing and then relaxing her butt before falling fast asleep.